Who We Are

The Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) is a network of nearly 2,000 Southern Baptist churches whose mission is to serve together to grow Great Commission churches. The state missionaries in the MBC office in Jefferson City support Missouri Baptists through eight ministry teams: church strengthening, strategic partners, missional evangelism / discipleship, communications, The Pathway / public policy, leadership development, church planting, and support services. Dr. John Yeats serves as executive director. MBC’s vision is to make Great Commission disciples, in cooperating Great Commission churches, transforming communities with the gospel.

Missouri Baptists recognize eight regional areas in the state and work cooperatively with 63 Baptist associations. Each association represents a number of Baptist churches in a particular region.

What is a Missouri Baptist church?

A Missouri Baptist church is a local body of baptized Christians who believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. Missouri Baptist churches are affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention. The MBC is affiliated with the national Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). By covenanting together in their faith, church members seek to extend the gospel message to the ends of the earth.

Membership (Excerpt from Article IV of the the MBC Constitution)

Section 1. Any Southern Baptist church singly aligned with the Convention and desiring to cooperate with the Convention in her program of single alignment with the Southern Baptist Convention and any Baptist church meeting the qualifications stated in Section 2 shall be entitled to one messenger for every one hundred members or fraction thereof, or for every $2,500.00 given to the Convention through the Cooperative Program in the previous reporting year, provided that no church shall be entitled to have more than fifteen messengers.

Section 2. In accordance with the agreement in the year 1919, Missouri Baptists shall continue in fellowship with the multiple aligned churches who were affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention as of 1961.

Each messenger is elected by his/her local church and attends the annual meeting to vote on convention business. Messengers are not instructed how to vote by the churches, but vote their own conscience on matters ranging from the election of convention officers to adopting a budget for the coming fiscal year.

Attendance at the annual meeting is not limited to messengers.

Although not eligible to vote on convention business, many visitors may attend the convention sessions for the benefit of worshiping with other Baptists from across the state.

Who are the Convention Officers?

Each year, convention messengers elect officers to fill these positions: President, First Vice President, Second Vice President and Recording Secretary. The officers preside over the Missouri Baptist Convention Annual Meetings and also serve as ex-officio members of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Executive Board.

The 2013-2014 officers (who will preside over the 2014 annual meeting) are:

Baptist Associations

Missouri Baptists recognize eight regional divisions or “areas” within the state and 64 associations in which local churches are grouped for cooperation with one another. Missouri Baptist Association Map

The Cooperative Program

The Missouri Baptist Convention supports the Cooperative Program. The Cooperative Program is the SBC’s financial channel. Through the Cooperative Program, churches voluntarily support missions and benevolent work. The Cooperative Program finances the work of Southern Baptists throughout the United States and in 140 foreign mission fields. More Cooperative Program Information